


Judgment

by Nugg



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Boys being good to each other, Feelings, M/M, Pining, Self-Worth Issues, Shiho is in it for two paragraphs, Understanding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-05-31 14:27:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15121394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nugg/pseuds/Nugg
Summary: Ryuji reflects on meeting the tranfer student, and figures out he's much better than any rumors that came before him.Pegoryu Week Prompt Number One: Meeting





	Judgment

**Author's Note:**

> I originally had a wedding fic, but decided I didn't enjoy it. 
> 
> So, hope you enjoy this one! Happy Pegoryu Week!

       When Ryuji peiced together that the guy he had just met up with, and was violently attacked with in a whole other world, was the criminal transfer. He was nothing more than surprised. Upset even, that everyone talked shit about him days before he'd ever stepped foot in that hellhole.

       He certainly didn't look like some agressive crook. Nice, full of volume hair neatly sat on his head. Wearing glasses, almost a pout to his lips at any given time. You could tell with all the misery plastered on his face, that he got it rough.

          Shiho was the only one who had never said anything about the new kid in the time before. Once they got the mandatory talk about his probation, they had gotten into groups for a small project. And to what Ryuji assumed was pity, she was his partner.

            "Whatta ya think about this crap about the transfer?" He'd asked after they finished, trying for a conversation in the settled silence. Watching her fiddle with her fingers in her lap, head bowed, deep in her thoughts. Only when she glanced up, did he see pain in her eyes, and took notice to the bruise below her ear.

           Adverting any direct contact, she shrugged and looked out the window, "I think we both know a lot about judging someone without any connections."

          He felt her small speech dig at his heart.

            She was right. In almost every way possible. The girl who couldn't be judgmental wasn't that way by her own means. She was forced to understand what hurt felt like. And maybe he needed to be reminded of that, leg twitching at her soft words bathed in truth.

         They'd both been ruined by the same man. Both ridiculed by their peers. And maybe he'd been dealt with the worst backlash at that point. She still had friends. She still had a good reputation, amid rumors that threatened her, she still stood with gentle smiles and kindness radiating from her presence.

           He was labeled a delinquent. A complete and utter failure who not only ruined his own life, but his teammates as well. Stripped of his friends, he was lonely, in a constant state of despair. Just some hyper, violent and vulgar kid who lost his unstable temper and punched his teacher to most everyone at Shujin.

           Most know it was only that. A punch. But others agreed to the whispers that he mercifully beat Kamoshida. Broke his nose, made him pass out. And every time he heard it, he wished they could understand that it was the opposite.

           So, he decided to ignore the sneers about the transfer. He would think that the word probation was bad. Maybe he was a criminal. But, he hadn't seen him, so who was he to be a dick and judge someone he had never met?

              Apparently, he wasn't anyone to assume. Because the guy that stared back at him in the rain never lived up to the stories told of him. He was a sad, damaged kid. Just like Ryuji.

            That could've been what drew the false blond to him. It could be that seeing his hair of defience, that hearing his loud obnoxious yelling didn't immediately make the new kid run away from him. He was the first person to befriend him in ages. And it couldn't be helped but to appreciate him.

            So, when he heard harsh words about his new pal, he'd flash his scary delinquent look to the person. They'd spin back around and shut their mouths with fear. And it worked to stop any shit talking words around them.

            Kurusu... or Akira. Was his name. He'd learned not long after they'd met. Not long after they left the palace, and not long after his life changed for the better.

            Ryuji was pissed at the story of why he was shipped off to Toyko. So angry. But, in the company of the guy, he didn't blow up. He didn't lash out, he didn't scream. He was different.

            "You already know my story huh?" He had assumed, finishing off his ramen. Hiding his cringe of remembrance.  Words he'd spoke during his awakening flooded back.

              The other showed no change in his small variation of emotions, "Most of it."

               Rolling his shoulders, he expected to get on with the conversation, "Like what I'd said earlier in the palace. Ima failure ya know? Heh, broke my leg. Ruined the track team... do- do you think they would get back together if we took down Kamoshitty?"

                 "It's possible." Akira had shrugged lightly, staying with his eyes still focused on Ryuji, waiting for the rest of the story.

              "Yeah. I'd like to think so. It's all my fault, pretty sure I wouldn't be welcomed back. Lost my cool," he shook his head and let out a half hearted laugh, "I'm a dumbass eh? A screwup. An' maybe it's for the better. They deserve it more than me."

                It was quiet for a moment, his new friend finally shifted his gaze. Staring at his half empty bowl of ramen. Scaring Ryuji into thinking he'd said something stupid again.

             Blinking, and turning to the blond, his look ripped his heart out and started stomping on it, "Why do you always put yourself down?"

           He froze. Thinking back to everything wrong with his life. Not even realizing how harsh he was on himself. It was always better to imagine himself as the bad guy. Easier to get over something if he took the fault. Sometimes, he didn't know he was doing it.

              "I- dunno. Er- it's just... It's silly, but I think it's simpler on everyone to blame myself. Like, sayin' mean shit to myself so people don't hafta?" Ryuji scrunched up his nose trying to dive for the correct things to say.

             Toying with his chopsticks, he laughed again, "It's not that hard to connect me to anything that goes wrong."

               "You should stop." He sat straight again.

            Taking a bite of his neglected food. Ryuji watched intently. Like any noodle he ate could reveal more emotions he had pushed far back. Pushed so far away, only to be brought back by the new kid.

           Jolting up, he almost couldn't hear over his thoughts, "You have had it just as bad, if not even more, than anyone here. And you are a caring guy. No matter what you, or anybody else say."

             Sliding down, he hid his blush by looking at the celing, "Jeez, thanks man... nobody's said that nice of shit to me. Like. Ever."

              Akira nodded, "You should get it more often."

             He searched for words. Overwhelmed by such kindness twords him. Feeling so mushy inside. Brain going all different directions. It could've been the first time he realized his actual appreciation of the dude was more than he thought it had been.

             The criminal, the dangerous transfer student had sat with him and ate ramen. The guy everyone spoke bad about. Nasty things, ruined images. They were wrong.

              Because the person they trashed had nevee exsisted. It was a dumbass blame game upon an innocent, well rounded kid. A kid that didn't deserve to be treated like he did. The two were more alike than anyone had ever thought.

            He had probably spent the last months in agony. So misunderstood. So ignored. He knew he should take the words to heart. They were like inspirational lyrics ingrained in his memory. But he had to shove it aside for a moment.

        This guy had been through so much more shit. He had actual legal troubles, he was far from a place he probably couldn't consider home anymore. And although they both lost friends, they both stood up for someone and got such a crap reward, at least he still could go to his mom.

           It was almost unimaginable. Being so alone, so isolated for a long period of time. The new kid had been through hell and back, and still had the will to be nice. Such a broken soul still had a little light left. And maybe all it took was someone being nice to be the match that helped it grow.

           "You know," Ryuji felt a pang something along the lines of love ripple through his bruised mind, "I'm glad I met you."

             Perhaps the blond shouldn't have gotten as flustered as he did when Akira touched his arm. Reassurance bringing so many unwarranted feelings upon him. He might've woken up in a different way in that moment.

             With a comforting smile, the 'thug' patted him, "Me too, Ryuji. Thank you."

            

 

**Author's Note:**

> I wont be doing some of the days I think, and i will be using my ongoing fics for one of the prompts. 
> 
> Thank you for reading, and thank you everyone who has participated in this event. I'm so excited, and everyone in this are fantastic people. 
> 
> Make sure to leave feedback for me, and the rest of the writers during this week. They're all great at what they do, and each put so much time into this! 
> 
> <3


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